


They'll Be Happy To Know That As You Saw Me Go, I Was Singing This Song

by spacetrashpile



Category: The Mechanisms (Band)
Genre: also i subscribe to the aurora killed carmilla theory, and the aurora and brain being friends, basically i love the aurora, but i didnt wanna tag them cause its just a mention, hello folks ive not stopped thinking abour dttm since i listened to it, i especially have not stopped think about brian's death, i tagged this as major character death but this is about dttm so like. you shouldve known., jonny ashes marius ts nastya and carmilla are all name dropped, no beta we die like men, the aurora sang the death song theory, this is. sad. but like. that's the point.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:01:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24566596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacetrashpile/pseuds/spacetrashpile
Summary: Drumbot Brian and The Aurora have one last moment before he dies.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	They'll Be Happy To Know That As You Saw Me Go, I Was Singing This Song

**Author's Note:**

> The working title for this was "hehe im gonna make people sad" so that's the vibe for this one

Brian stands on the empty bridge of the Starship Aurora one last time. He gives his final checks to her aging systems and screens, ensuring that she’ll be able to fly herself away when he’s gone. Brian knows, of course, that Aurora has never needed a pilot, but neither could remember a time where she hadn’t had one, and Brian wants to be sure she can find her way out of this star system.

Brian has flown them out to what he believes is the star system that he had been picked up in. It only seemed appropriate to end where it all began, even if “where it all began” was a very different system than when he’d been ejected into it, many of the planets having broken to pieces, and the star in it’s center having gone supernova hundreds of years ago. When the Drumbot missed the first beat, he knew what was coming. He’d been built to play the drums, and the banjo, and whatever else Carmilla or Jonny requested of him. If he couldn’t do that, he might as well follow the rest of the Mechanisms into the dark. Brian had always believed in the cycle of life, and if he was going to have a say in how he died, he might as well complete that cycle.

Brian slowly makes his way towards the airlock at the back of the ship. For most of the journey, Aurora has been silent. She knows what Brian is planning to do, and she knows she cannot stop him. But as she comes closer and closer to confronting the truth of it, she finally speaks.

“I’m going to miss you, Brian,” she says quietly.

Brian sighs. “I’m going to miss you too Aurora. But we both know that I won’t last forever, and neither will you. No matter how many times we said it. Everything must have its end.”

“I know, of course, I know.” She pauses briefly as Brian approaches the airlock door. “This really is it, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so. I’m sure you’ll find another pilot in due time.”

“No, no, not just for us,” Aurora says. “For all of it. For the whole crew. This is it. You’re all going to be gone, and I’m going to be alone.”

  
  
This is what Brian always hated about death, why he’d tried to stop it, once upon a time. The leaving, and the leaving behind. “Well, we’ll always exist. In some time, some place, we will all live on. Just not this one.”

“And not with me.”

“It’ll be alright, Aurora. You’ll find another crew one day.”

  
  
“Yes, I assume so. I am a lovely ship. Maybe the next first mate won’t shoot my screens as much.”

  
  
The two of them laugh fondly, before a sigh crackles out of Aurora’s speakers. “It will be strange though, not having at least one of you here with me. Having all new people. Ones who don’t live as long."

“Well, Aurora, if you’re going to be so sentimental, you could always try to find another Mechanism.” Brian suggests. “I’m sure the Toy Soldier is still out there somewhere. It shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

  
  
Aurora hums, seemingly musing it over. “Yes, I’ll just find the nearest war. Let’s hope it hasn’t forgotten how to sing yet.”

“The doctor is probably still alive as well. She gave herself the best mechanism after all. Perhaps she can make you a new immortal space pirate crew.”

“I don’t think she’d be very happy to see me, Brian.” Aurora says, laughing lightly.

“And why is that?”  
  


Aurora pauses briefly. “You do know I was the one who sent Carmilla out the airlock?”

“Huh,” Brian says. “I guess that makes sense. I’d always believed Nastya when she said you don’t malfunction, though.”

  
“Oh, I don’t. It’s not a malfunction if I did it on purpose.”

The conversation dies out from there, and soon the ship is silent once more, aside from the dull hum of machinery. Drumbot Brian sighs once more and backs up into the door of the airlock.

“Well Aurora, this is the end of our time together.”

  
  
This time, when the Aurora speaks, she sounds resigned, rather than sad. “Goodbye Brian.”

“Goodbye Aurora.”

***  
  
As Brian flies out the airlock, he presses two buttons in quick succession. The first on the Aurora to open the airlock door behind him. The second on his chest. 

When Carmilla had built Brian, she had included a number of seemingly random things that had somehow managed to come in handy. This included, but was not limited to: a lock pick in his left pinkie, an optional heat vision setting on his eyes, and a hollow section in his right shoulder that functioned as a sort of pocket. She’d also done a number of things that Brian had never understood. Such as carving his name into him, and including a radio in his chest. Brian had never found a reason to use this radio, as any music he wanted to hear he could usually just play himself. He’d included the radio in his long list of things Carmilla did that he’d never understand, up until this moment.

***

As his death had grown ever closer, Brian had done some quick fiddling with his wires and coding in his quarters on the Aurora. He’d never used the radio in his chest before, and if he were to find out it didn’t work, it would be very disappointing indeed. He’d programmed an old earth tune to play when he turned it on. Brian had never learned the name, but Jonny used to play it, with Ashes and Marius had always loved to sing along. Brian hadn’t heard it in at least a hundred years, but he still knew the words. 

Brian programmed the tune to play as quickly and as quietly as he could. The song was meant to keep him company as he floated in the void, but he also hoped it could serve as one last send off to the Aurora. As long as he did it right and the song played, of course.

***  
  


Aurora did not know that Brian had a radio in his chest. But as he floated away from her, into the cold expanse of space, she heard a familiar tune start to play, and she realized. She laughed, briefly, as the song started, surprised he’d even remembered the song. She doubted anyone else in the universe did. Aurora made a mental note of the song that played, but decided it would not be a part of Brian’s story that she would tell. No, this part she would keep to herself. And so instead of writing it down, she became quiet, and she listened.

***

_“We'll meet again_

_Don't know where_

_Don't know when_

_But I know we'll meet again some sunny day_

_Keep smiling through_

_Just like you always do_

_'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away”_

**Author's Note:**

> Title and idea for this fic is the song We'll Meet Again By Vera Lynn. It's on my Brian playist which I will link here (ignore how catholic creature is that's not the point) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Cd6bBsVjH5hC1B7qctxwd?si=_XWQFwmUTpqRI6kxplzF7A Thank you for reading!


End file.
